Contracting jobs in Australia continue to offer generous pay and benefits, especially as the economy crawls its way out of the COVID era.
As we have reported previously, there are significant benefits (and drawbacks) of becoming a contractor. Each of these is worthy of consideration.
But having lost – or what’s felt like, lost – two years to the madness that was COVID, the demand for contracting jobs in Australia has shifted. Yes, contractors are still in great demand, only the skills sought have somewhat changed.
From our recent research, we have uncovered the 10 most in-demand independent contracting jobs currently on offer in Australia.
1. Virtual Assistant (VA)
Qualification: Certificate IV in Business Administration
Small business owners and entrepreneurs as well as medium-sized organisations look to virtual assistants to help take some of the load off so they can focus on critical business. Of the current contracting jobs in Australia, the VA is seeing significant growth.
The type of work is often clerical and administrative but can also extend to bookkeeping and accounts management.
Developments in technology allow for more administration roles to be performed out of the office, so the role lends itself heavily to remote working. This provides greater scope for job opportunities, as location criteria are eliminated.
Average Pay: $27/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Strong
2. Virtual Bookkeeper
Qualification: Certificate IV in Bookkeeping
Virtual bookkeeping is where a business engages the services of a bookkeeper or accountant, to manage their accounts, remotely.
Virtual booking is currently seeing a surge in demand in Australia; so much so, that the concept of bookkeepers travelling to meet with their clients is becoming a thing of the past.
This job is much more than a simple data entry and is responsible for tracking key business arteries such as cash flow and tracking invoicing.
It can be difficult to initially trust a virtual bookkeeper with your books. Therefore, a referral from a trusted source is a great place to start.
Average Pay: $20/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Very Strong
3. Customer Service Assistant
Qualification: Certificate IV in Customer Engagement
Customer service assistants are the face of a company, responsible for servicing customers and helping them with any questions or concerns. Duties include receiving inbound calls, responding to complaints, and selling a company’s products or services.
Increasingly, customer service jobs are conducted online or via remote call centres. Hence, this is a great option for stay-at-home mums or those looking to make money from home.
Average Pay: $20/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Very Strong
4. Online Tutor
Qualification: Certificate III in Education Support
Whether for a specific academic talent, or know-how to coach business professionals, this is a great gig to do from home. And is another area of real growth for current contracting jobs in Australia.
Online tutoring will be more successful if coupled with some customer service skills. Dealing with reluctant students or demanding corporate clients will be better managed by having a customer service bent.
 Average Pay: $29/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Strong
5. Translator
Qualification: Certificate in EAL
Australian companies are looking to reach suppliers and customers from all over the globe. So, workers with second or third language skills are in greater demand today.
The interpreting and translating sector requires qualifications in oral (interpreting) and written (translating) conversion of a language other than English to English, and vice versa. These are currently high-demand contracting jobs in Australia.
Average Pay: $29/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Strong
6. Transcription Jobs
Qualification: Certificate III in Business Administration
Transcription work involves converting spoken words (or video recordings) into written text. These typically come from a client directly or through a third-party platform. Often, transcription services are required for specialty purposes, such as legal, medical, technical, and market research as well as many other categories.
With few skills required other than speedy touch-typing, it’s easy to see why this is one of the growth-contracting jobs in Australia.
 Average Pay: $25/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Stable
7. Social Media Manager
Qualification: Diploma of Social Media Marketing
A relatively new job type covering a range of roles, managing the social media accounts of organisations is in great demand. As the generation of tech-savvy millennials and beyond are growing, they are increasingly seeking out products and services via social media.
The full complement of digital wizardry skills isn’t always required – it’s very much role-dependent (having said that, acquiring the skills via online learning is very achievable). Companies across the country are looking for people who know how to write captivating content across their social media footprint.
Average Pay: $25/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Very Strong
8. Content Writer
Qualification: Certificate IV in Marketing and Communication
Content writers are tasked with writing content for websites, social media, corporate blogs and more across a wide variety of topics and industries. These can include writing reviews, descriptions, eBooks, whitepapers, blog posts and more.
Most content writers work freelance and make up their own hours. Content writers are given briefs and a word count which can require research, interviews, and a high amount of creativity. Contracting jobs in Australia for content writers are showing signs of strong growth.
Average Pay: $24/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Strong
9. Software Developer
Qualification: Diploma of Software Development
Perhaps one of the most flexible jobs in today’s contracting landscape, developing and testing software can be done from anywhere with a sound internet connection.
This job requires a robust understanding of the fundamentals of software development, to comprehend potential fixes for corporate software bugs.
This is a job that is global, and non-sector specific. So, the opportunities are almost limitless.
Average Pay: $25/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Very Strong
10. Childcare Worker
Qualification: Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
Child carers will be in high demand over the next five years, with an increase in at-home care expected. Childcare workers are responsible for the supervision and development of young children, which is increasingly being done in residential homes instead of childcare centres. As we’ve seen across much media reporting of late, it’s clear why this is a growth contracting job in Australia.
Average Pay: $22/hour
Job Growth Prospects: Very Strong
Most Australian companies employ temporary or contingent workers at some point. The in-demand jobs listed here, show the breadth of skills required and the type of support organisations need. As you can see, many of these jobs can be executed in a hybrid model – part-time from the office, part-time from home or even full-time from home. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the recent COVID experience, it’s that contracting jobs in Australia remain in high demand.
And finally, please do contact us if you have any feedback or comments.
As one of the world’s leading providers of contingent worker management solutions, CXC is well positioned to optimise all elements of your contingent workforce strategy.
With operations in more than 50 countries across five continents and decades of experience, we can assist with every aspect of your program.
If you are interested in discussing the in-demand contracting jobs in Australia, please contact us.
